Page 371 - women-in-love

‘No,’ she said, pleading, ‘not like that. Not like that. But I
must know that you love me, mustn’t I?’
‘Well then, know it and have done with it.’
‘But do you?’
‘Yes, I do. I love you, and I know it’s final. It is final, so
why say any more about it.’
She was silent for some moments, in delight and doubt.
‘Are you sure?’ she said, nestling happily near to him.
‘Quite sure—so now have done—accept it and have
done.’
She was nestled quite close to him.
‘Have done with what?’ she murmured, happily.
‘With bothering,’ he said.
She clung nearer to him. He held her close, and kissed her
softly, gently. It was such peace and heavenly freedom, just
to fold her and kiss her gently, and not to have any thoughts
or any desires or any will, just to be still with her, to be per-
fectly still and together, in a peace that was not sleep, but
content in bliss. To be content in bliss, without desire or in-
sistence anywhere, this was heaven: to be together in happy
stillness.
For a long time she nestled to him, and he kissed her
softly, her hair, her face, her ears, gently, softly, like dew fall-
ing. But this warm breath on her ears disturbed her again,
kindled the old destructive fires. She cleaved to him, and he
could feel his blood changing like quicksilver.
‘But we’ll be still, shall we?’ he said.
‘Yes,’ she said, as if submissively.
And she continued to nestle against him.

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